He reached up and clasped his crucifix in his hand, closing his eyes, a bible quote coming to mind. “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
May history, and its villains, remain the dust they now are.
Leaving Malpensa International Airport, Italy
Acton leaned back in the leather chair, closing his eyes as the seat wrapped itself around him, their jet lifting off from the ground. It was a more boisterous ride this time, Bravo Team joining them for the return. Giasson had already called, filling them in on what had happened with his end of things, and with details on who these people were that they had gone up against.
The seatbelt light chimed and seatbelts were popped off, everyone congregating around two meeting tables, the conversation continuing about what Giasson had told them.
“So, Doc, you’re the smart one, what do you think?” asked Niner.
Acton smiled. “Well, cloning has been around for years, but human cloning has been banned. That’s not to say there aren’t people out there working toward it, or possibly even doing it. That being said, I think it’s just a matter of time before you’d be able to take someone’s DNA and clone them with no problem.”
Niner sighed. “Imagine, a whole bunch of little Niners running around.”
“Goddamned nightmarish world, if you ask me,” rumbled Atlas.
“Sounds like Star Wars to me,” said Jimmy. “Clone armies, I mean.”
Acton nodded. “Definitely sounds like science fiction. The thing about science fiction, though, is it has a nasty habit of becoming science fact, whether we like it or not, like their idea of creating the perfect soldier.”
“Yeah, I was wondering about that,” said Spock, taking a sip from a water bottle. “How would that work?”
“Well, you’ve all heard of the work being done to cure genetic diseases. Basically, they try to ‘fix’ the faulty gene through gene therapy techniques, and if they succeed, the person is essentially cured. We’re going to see huge numbers of these therapies over the coming years as the techniques are perfected.”
“So it is possible?” asked Niner. “Not sure I like the sound of that.”
“I’m sure there’s a few defects in you they could fix,” said Jagger. “Like that mouth of yours.”
“And your lips.”
Jagger shoved his out even farther. “What you talkin’ about?”
“Just to get back to what I was saying, that’s fixing defective genes, which I think most people don’t have a problem with. Where it gets dicey is when you try to manipulate the genome to alter it from its original intention. And that’s what this Congress is trying to do. To create a perfect soldier, you’re not fixing defects, you’re changing the very fabric of what it means to be human.”
Niner whistled. “Please tell me that’s not possible.”
Acton raised his eyebrows, tilting his head for a moment. “Unfortunately, it is. At least, now it is. The Chinese announced just recently that they had broken the germ line. Essentially what that means is they’ve been able to manipulate the genome to actually change it.” He noted the confused looks. “Okay, imagine this. You have a genetic defect, you correct it, so that person now has the genes they were meant to have all along. They have a baby, their DNA goes into the mix and voila, perfectly normal baby pops out with the genome you’re expecting. Homo Sapiens. Because you didn’t change anything from what it was supposed to be.
“But this new breakthrough allows scientists to actually change the DNA from what it is supposed to be, to something new, and when that person passes on their new DNA, their offspring will have it as well. You essentially create a new species, and you have no idea what the end result might be.”
“Jesus,” muttered Dawson. “They can do that?”
Acton nodded. “It’s illegal research in most of the civilized world, but not in China. They’ve done it, and they’re moving forward. For what purpose is anyone’s guess.”
“And this is public knowledge?” asked Jimmy.
Acton nodded.
“Which means the Congress now knows,” said Laura, the fear clear in her voice. She looked at her husband. “Do you really think they could do this?”
Acton shrugged. “Not today, but a year from now, ten years from now? This is definitely going to be a problem, whether it’s from nutbars creating clone armies, or parents trying to create the perfect baby, the future is here, and we’ve got to get ready for it.”
The burner phone Reading had bought rang, Acton holding it in his hand. He held up his finger and everyone became quiet.
“Hello?”
“Professor Acton?”
“Yes.”
“We have an agreement.”
THE END
Acknowledgements
The idea for this story came when I stumbled upon an article describing the very science mentioned in this novel. As stated in the Preface, the science is real, though let’s hope there isn’t some group of crazed zealots out there trying to recreate a madman with a minion army to rule the world.
Yet the very fact that this is now possible, does make one wonder how it may be put to use in the future. Will it be banned, with it only being done in countries like China, Russia and North Korea, or in the back alleys of America’s great cities, where parents desperately try to give their future child the best hope for an uncertain world, where they will have to compete with all the other children whose parents did the same thing?
This technology is coming, and society will need to figure out how to deal with it.
A couple of notes. The Denny’s story? True, but it was my family sitting there eating breakfast, and yes, we felt proud when the old couple said what they did. I mean, feeding your kid hash browns off a dirty table? Are you kidding me? Sometimes it does make you wonder if manipulating the genome might not be such a bad thing.
And Niskha’s green Froggie? It was mine when I was a child, and it sits on my desk to this day.
A few people to thank. My Dad for all the research again, Ian Davidson for some motorcycle info, and Angela Lee for giving Reading a home. My wife, daughter, family and friends, I again thank you.
To those who have not already done so, please visit my website at www.jrobertkennedy.com then sign up for the Insider’s Club to be notified of new book releases. Your email address will never be shared or sold and you’ll only receive the occasional email from me as I don’t have time to spam you!
Thank you once again for reading.
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James Acton will return!
Check out the new Delta Force Unleashed series and get to know Bravo Team some more. Get started with Payback (Delta Force Unleashed #1) today!
Why not try the Special Agent Dylan Kane spin-off series? Dylan Kane is a former student of James Acton and before being recruited into the CIA, served and trained under Burt "Big Dog" Dawson with Delta Team Bravo. Acton has a cameo in Rogue Operator, and Dawson and the boys appear in Containment Failure,
Cold Warriors and Death to America. Get started with Rogue Operator (Dylan Kane #1) today!
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy has been ranked by Amazon as the #1 Bestselling Action Adventure novelist based upon combined sales. He is the author of over twenty international bestsellers including the smash hit James Acton Thrillers series of which the first installment, The Protocol, has been on the bestseller list in the US and UK since its release, including occupying the number one spot for three months. He lives with his wife and daughter and writes full-time.
Visit Robert's website at www.jrobertkennedy.com and sign-up for the Insider's Club to be notified of new book releases.
Books by J. Robert Kennedy
The James Acton Thrillers
The Protocol
Brass Monkey
Broken Dove
The Templar's Relic
Flags of Sin
The Arab Fall
The Circle of Eight
The Venice Code
Pompeii's Ghosts
Amazon Burning
The Riddle
Blood Relics
Sins of the Titanic
Saint Peter's Soldiers
The Delta Force Unleashed Thrillers
Payback
Infidels
The Lazarus Moment
The Special Agent Dylan Kane Thrillers
Rogue Operator
Containment Failure
Cold Warriors
Death to America
The Detective Shakespeare Mysteries
Depraved Difference
Tick Tock
The Redeemer
Zander Varga, Vampire Detective Series
The Turned
The Protocol
A James Acton Thriller - Book #1
For two thousand years the Triarii have protected us, influencing history from the crusades to the discovery of America. Descendent from the Roman Empire, they pervade every level of society, and are now in a race with our own government to retrieve an ancient artifact thought to have been lost forever.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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Brass Monkey
A James Acton Thriller - Book #2
A nuclear missile, lost during the Cold War, is now in play--the most public spy swap in history, with a gorgeous agent the center of international attention, triggers the end-game of a corrupt Soviet Colonel's twenty five year plan. Pursued across the globe by the Russian authorities, including a brutal Spetsnaz unit, those involved will stop at nothing to deliver their weapon, and ensure their pay day, regardless of the terrifying consequences.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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Broken Dove
A James Acton Thriller - Book #3
With the Triarii in control of the Roman Catholic Church, an organization founded by Saint Peter himself takes action, murdering one of the new Pope's operatives. Detective Chaney, called in by the Pope to investigate, disappears, and, to the horror of the Papal staff sent to inform His Holiness, they find him missing too, the only clue a secret chest, presented to each new pope on the eve of their election, since the beginning of the Church.
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The Templar's Relic
A James Acton Thriller - Book #4
The Vault must be sealed, but a construction accident leads to a miraculous discovery--an ancient tomb containing four Templar Knights, long forgotten, on the grounds of the Vatican. Not knowing who they can trust, the Vatican requests Professors James Acton and Laura Palmer examine the find, but what they discover, a precious Islamic relic, lost during the Crusades, triggers a set of events that shake the entire world, pitting the two greatest religions against each other. At risk is nothing less than the Vatican itself, and the rock upon which it was built.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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Flags of Sin
A James Acton Thriller - Book #5
Archaeology Professor James Acton simply wants to get away from everything, and relax. A trip to China seems just the answer, and he and his fiancée, Professor Laura Palmer, are soon on a flight to Beijing. But while boarding, they bump into an old friend, Delta Force Command Sergeant Major Burt Dawson, who surreptitiously delivers a message that they must meet the next day, for Dawson knows something they don’t. China is about to erupt into chaos.
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The Arab Fall
A James Acton Thriller - Book #6
An accidental find by a friend of Professor James Acton may lead to the greatest archaeological discovery since the tomb of King Tutankhamen, perhaps even greater. And when news of it spreads, it reaches the ears of a group hell-bent on the destruction of all idols and icons, their mere existence considered blasphemous to Islam.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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The Circle of Eight
A James Acton Thriller - Book #7
The Bravo Team is targeted by a madman after one of their own intervenes in a rape. Little do they know this internationally well-respected banker is also a senior member of an organization long thought extinct, whose stated goals for a reshaped world are not only terrifying, but with today's globalization, totally achievable.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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The Venice Code
A James Acton Thriller - Book #8
A former President's son is kidnapped in a brazen attack on the streets of Potomac by the very ancient organization that murdered his father, convinced he knows the location of an item stolen from them by the late president. A close friend awakes from a coma with a message for archeology Professor James Acton from the same organization, sending him along with his fiancée Professor Laura Palmer on a quest to find an object only rumored to exist, while trying desperately to keep one step ahead of a foe hell-bent on possessing it.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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Pompeii's Ghosts
A James Acton Thriller - Book #9
Two thousand years ago Roman Emperor Vespasian tries to preserve an empire by hiding a massive treasure in the quiet town of Pompeii should someone challenge his throne. Unbeknownst to him nature is about to unleash its wrath upon the Empire during which the best and worst of Rome’s citizens will be revealed during a time when duty and honor were more than words, they were ideals worth dying for.
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Amazon Burning
A James Acton Thriller - Book #10
Days from any form of modern civilization, archeology Professor James Acton awakes to gunshots. Finding his wife missing, taken by a member of one of the uncontacted tribes, he and his friend INTERPOL Special Agent Hugh Reading try desperately to find her in the dark of the jungle, but quickly realize there is no hope without help. And with help three days away, he knows the longer they wait, the farther away she’ll be.
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list
The Riddle
A James Acton Thriller - Book #11
Russia accuses the United States of assassinating their Prime Minister in Hanoi, naming Delta Force member Sergeant Carl “Niner” Sung as the assassin. Professors James Acton and Laura Palmer, witnesses to the murder, know the truth, and as the Russians and Vietnamese attempt to use the situation to their advantage on the international stage, the husband and wife duo attempt to find proof that their friend is innocent.
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Blood Relics
A James Acton Thriller - Book #12
A DYING MAN. A DESPERATE SON.
ONLY A MIRACLE CAN SAVE THEM BOTH.
Professor Laura Palmer is shot and kidnapped in front of her husband, archeology Professor James Acton, as they try to prevent the theft of the world’s Blood Relics, ancient artifacts thought to contain the blood of Christ, a madman determined to possess them all at any cost.
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Saint Peter's Soldiers (A James Acton Thriller, Book #14) Page 26